Legco trust debate goes beyond seat numbers
SCMP · 1 SOURCES1 day ago2 MIN
Summary
Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, Hong Kong’s first post-handover Legislative Council president, said on a radio programme that a 90-seat legislature costs much more than a 60-seat one and that she “kind of” agreed with that view. The commentary argues that while the arithmetic is obvious, focusing on cost alone misses the central issue behind waning support for Legco: public perception of lawmakers’ performance and conduct. It traces Legco’s expansion from 60 to 70 seats in the 2012-16 term under the 2010 reform package, and then to 90 seats after the 2021 electoral overhaul.
Key Points
- Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai said a friend had told her a 90-seat legislature costs far more than a 60-seat one, and she partly agreed.
- Fan made the remark after being asked about the issue on a radio show, rather than raising seat cuts on her own initiative.
- Legco expanded from 60 to 70 seats for the 2012-16 term under the 2010 constitutional and electoral reform package.
- The same 2010 reform package also increased Election Committee membership from 800 to 1,200, showing broader institutional expansion.
- The 2021 electoral overhaul raised Legco seats from 70 to 90 and completely reconfigured the council’s composition.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the debate is less about whether fewer lawmakers would save money than whether Legco is seen as delivering value and maintaining credibility. Fan’s emphasis on lawmakers acting cautiously and avoiding even minor legal breaches points to trust and standards of behaviour as the real test of the legislature’s standing.